Process of making lightweight aggregate



Oct. 6, 1953 H. A. BURON 2,654,137 PROCESS OF MAKING LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE Filed Feb. 2:. 1950 A I NVNTOR. H PPY 14. EURO/V Fla. 2

I BY

Patented Oct. 6, 1953 PRocEss OFZMAKING LIGHTWEIGHT AGGREGATE Harry'A. Buron, Cambridge, Mass., minor to Arthur D. Little, Inc., Cambridge, Man, a corporation of Massachusetts i Application February zz, 1950, Serial No. 145.130

, 1 This invention relates to an improved method for making lightweight aggregate materials from .clays, shales, and similar clay-like siliceous materials.

Lightweight aggregate is commercially available in bulk densities ranging all the way from 4 to 80 lbs/cu. ft. The heavier types are used primarily in the preparation of load bearing concrete, lighter ones are used in concr tes such as employed for roof decks and floor fills, and the lightest ones for plasters and mortars of all kinds. Most of the available expanded clay-like materials are used in the preparation of heavier type lightweight aggregates and are commonly prepared by sintering a mass of clay to which some fuel such as powdered coal or coke has been added. The resulting boated sheets or mass is crushed to the desired particle size distribution to be used in a similar manner as cinder or expanded slags.

Attempts have been made to improve these materials by Dre-shaping the aggregate as by extrusion, and then expanding them in a rotary kiln. One of the difiiculties encountered in preparing lightweight aggregate from pre-shaped clay-like materials is the fact that during the bloating the -flring operation about 4-8% by weight of the coating material. While the product is improved, diificulty with uneven firing is still experienced resulting in uneven expansion.

None of these methods is fully satisfactory for making extremely lightweight aggregates from clays or other siliceous materials capable of being bloated, i. e., materials which will have a bulk density of less than 30 lbs/cu. ft., and in particular as low as 10 to 30 lbs/cu. ft.

It has been suggested that uneven firing may,

be corrected and that extreme lightweight ag regate can be prepared by the use of relatively large quantities of finely divided refractory materials such as sand, graphite, etc. While these materials are quite satisfactory, they introduce certain difliculties in large scale operations, especially where the composition is to be subjected to a constant turning over in such furnaces as rotary hearth rabbling furnaces. Furthermore, due to the heaviness of those materials the heat required 5 (Baillie.- (Cl'. 25-158) to bring them to the treatment temperature is excessive. v

It is an object of this invention to prepare lightweight aggregate from preformed clay-like siliceous materials.

A further object is .to prepare lightweight aggregate from such materials having a bulk density as low 10 to 30'lbs./cu. ft.

Still another object is to prepare evenly expanded' preformed clay-like siliceous materials 7 economically.

These and other objects which will become apparent may be accomplished by enveloping the preformed clay-like material with at least an equal volume of finely divided lightweight, reactive refractory blanketing material during the firing operation.

As 'raw materials for forming the lightweight aggregate, clays and other clay-like materials such as shales and slates may b'eused. In actual operation it has been found that clay is preferred because of its easy workability and availability.

Clays, shales, and slates vary somewhat'fin' their composition and allowance must be made accordingly as hereinafter set forth.

Clays and shales, in particular, often contain natural bloating agents in suflicient quantity to expand the product properly. If these bloating agents are not naturally suiiicient,or where extreme lightweight aggregate is desired, bloating agents such as carbonates, iron'oxide. oils, tars and other hydrocarbons, finely ground coal, sulfides and other materials known in the art to be bloating agents maybe used. The amount of bloating agent added depends, of course, upon the condition of theclay-like material to be bloated. We prefer to use about 2% to 4% by weight of such agent for clays. while some shales and slate require more. Bunker C oil or similar hydrocarbon material is the preferred bloating agent.

panded clay-like material. 'I'hat is the bulk density of the blanket must not exceed that of the upper limit of the lightweight material of 30 -ity of about 12 pounds per cubic foot or expanded vermiculite of proper particle size which has a bulk densityof from 5 to 15 pounds per cubic foot are examples of suitable blanketing agents.

The refractory blanketing, material must be Other lightweight materials include artificially this stage. heavier blanket material due to the use of lightbloated kyanite-and lightweight grogs, such as may be'obtained as by-products of high temperature refractories. These include lightweight silica, brick or lightweight; and granular bubble alumina. While the cost of bubble alumina is high initially. a good recycling system cuts the overall cost markedly. Such lightweight blanketing agents have the advantage of forming; an evenly heated environment for the bloated clay materials of preventing the bloated material fective, is to fire the bloating material in a rabble furnace wherein the rabble teeth continuously from rising and segregating from the blanket:

during turning over, such as by rabbling or treatment inia rotary furnace. Inthe beginning of fake the mixture. The bloating material and blanketing material may be introduced into the furnace separately or mixed. They fall to the bottom of the furnace where they are plowed or raked by the rabble teeth continually andgradually forced across the floor and out of the furnace. By appropriate spacing of the rabble teeth together with the rotating hearth or floor. the mixture is caused to move in a path which is helical in nature. Such an arrangement provides )a convenient means for mixing and eliminating the firing operation the clay pellets tend to sink,'

-. but as they swell they becomeevenly distributed? the tendency to segregate at the beginningof the nringgoperation is notdisadvantageous since there is no danger of sticking or overheating at There is also a heat saving over weight material, becaus there is less weight of material to raise to the proper temperature. The lightweight material blanket not only provides air'spaces between the particles themselves, as do heavy blanketing materials, but also the spaces provided by their own vesicular; structure; thus the blanket operates as a more efficiently trolled mume.

In carrying out the process of this invention the clay is, prepared by reducing it to a finely conthe material. -A detailed description of a rabbling furnace appears below. The temperature and time in the furnace, of course, will be determined by the exact nature of the material, but for most clay-like materials, temperatures between 1900 and 2400" F. will be satisfactory, and in-furnace times of about 10 minutes or longer will be required. The mass then is discharged from the furnace and the bloated material separated from the blanketing material by screening or by cyclone methods. Any other equivalent method is divided'state, mixing it with the bloating agent,

if necessary, and with suitable amounts of water to impart sumcient plasticity, and shaping it into 7 individual particles as by extrusion and division into desired lengths. Exact pro-shaping of the particles is, however, unnecessary and it is sufficient to breakup the clay into particle sizes correspondingly smaller than the desired bloated size; The size off-the lie-tides will, therefore, vary considerably, but generally it is preferred that they have a size distribution such that when bloated will yield lightweight aggregate conforming to the prevailing specifications in the industry. p

In the preparation of shales it isnecessary only also satisfactory.

ings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a rotating hearth rabble furnace.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the furnace shown In the accompanying drawin Fig. 1 taken on line 1-4.

Fig. 3 is a refractory rabble tooth.

' Fig. 4 is a sectionof the roof and support device.

The furnace consists of a cylindrical sheet steel shell 10, enclosing the brick work of the furnace.

The brick work forms the sides H and the two flues l2 with openings l3. A removable roof H is-of brick and is suspended by an assembly conto roughly size the shale: Those shales which do containat least two volumes of blanketing agent to one volume 'ofparticlesf-to be bloated. The upper limit is indicated-by the economy of the process, but is seldomv more than five times the volume of prepared clay.. a

- This mixture ated into a furnace such as'a rotary; furnace or preferably a rotating hearth orrabbling furnace in which the mixture of shaped clay. and blanketing agent is turned over by means of a-rabbling device.

The purpose'of the rabbling device is that'in the practice of my invention I have found that it isladvisable to-stir the mixture of bloating material and blanketing materialsduring the course of firing; Such stirring insures better heat distribution and thus allows heavier furnace loads and/or'shorter in-furnace time.

A convenient method, asindicated-above, for stirring the mixture is to employ a rotary kiln;

forms with keyway holes. 36, and supported by brackets 38,att-achedtolegs 39.

' Set in the refractory wall H are burners 40, of

a 29, and 30 by unit 33.

sisting of four main support bars l5 supported by brackets I6 attached to steel shell 10. Insulating fire bricks l1 employed on roof M are sup-- ported by support members l8 as shown in detail in Fig. 4. Support members 18 hook over main support bars i! and under brick support. rods IS. The roof may be removed by an suitable means not shown.

The hearth consists of a steel plate 20 which supports the refractory brick made of hard, dense fire brick M on thesurface and insulating. brick 22 underneath, both being arranged within a circular'cha'nnel 23 formed by an outer circular steel rim 23a and an inner refractory rim 2312 which rest on and are attached to the periphcry. of hearth steel plate 20. to provide a space for a sand seal. An upper circular stationary lip 43 extends down between rims 23a and 23b asa ,-part of the seal. Hearth steel plate 20 has a cam ter opening 24 to which is attached discharge means 25. I

Attached to the bottom of plate 20 is'circular rau'zs which rides in sheaves 21, 2a, 29, so. The sheaves are supported by. suitable brackets 3|.

The hearth- 20 isrotated'on'the sheaves 21, 28, means of chain 32 driven'by driving Rabble teeth 34 made of 'refractory brick,'are formed with a suitable diagonal blade 35 and provided with keyway holes 36 asshown in Fig. '3. The teeth are supported by rabble arm 3'! which is in the form of 'a pipe with 'a key" rod which con- 5 which only one of two is shown.

another method, and one]: have found most ef- The feeder device consists of hopper 4| and chute 42 passing through the fire brick wall H and steel shell in.

In the operation of the -furnace the pelletblanket mixture is placed in hopper and fed into the furnace by chute 42, from which it drops on the outer periphery of the rotating hearth. The burners 40 are adjusted to provide the proper heat. Tht outside rabble tooth plows the pelletblanket mixture to the outside and staggered tooth on the ODP Slte side and the action is repeated by similarly staggered position of the teeth until the-mixture is pushed out at center hole 24 through discharge means 25. The relative motion of the rotating hearth and rabble teeth serve to turn over and pass the pelletblanket mixture continuously through the furnace at a regulated speed. If desired, material can be loaded at the center and discharged at the periphery by having rabble teeth with a pitch opposite to the one shown in Fig. 3.

The formation of lightweight aggregate by bloating argillaceous or clay-like materials is be lieved to be brought about by a combination of factors. Clays often contain some organic material, and if the amount is insuificient, material may be added either of an organic nature or inorganic material which upon heating will decompose with evolution of gas. When heated sufficiently, clays soften and become plastic, and the organic or other matter decomposes to release gas. The gas bubbles blow up or bloat the plastic clay to form a vesicular mass, which upon ,cooling forms a lightweight aggregate.

therefore, essential that the clay be heated uniformly to produce aggregate of minimum density. It is evident that overheating will collapse the bloated clay because of its excessive plasticity,

and that underheating will fail either to decompose the gas forming material or to cause the clay to become suificiently plastic to expand properly. But uniform heating is not readily attained, especially when a considerable number of small shaped particles is concerned. There is also the problem of sticking of the shaped pieces together when they are in the plastic shape. By providing a mass of finely divided high melting material which surrounds each individual shaped particle and which substantially fills the voids between them, even and uniform distribution of heat is enhanced in addition to eliminating the problem of sticking together of the bloated particles. Maximum and uniform expansion without danger of partial collapse thereby results. It is believed that such a blanketing agent has the advantage of equalizing any lack of uniformity in heating in the bloating furnace, thus minimizing the sensitivity of the material to be bloated with respect to exact firing control. In any case, it is found that by firing the pre-shaped materials in a blanket, temperature control is no longer as critical. It is also found that by using such blanketing agents, lightweight aggregate can be formed from individual particles in densities as low as 8 lbs/cu. ft. whereas without the use of a blanket. the lowest density gives uniform and useful material which can be readily .obtained is about 30 lbs/cu. ft. or more.

The separation of blanketing material from bloated aggregate may or may not be carried out, as desired. It is usually desired to separate the two materials and this is not too difiicult by ravitational means or by sieving, because the sep- It is,

6 arating blanket material is not softened, and does not itself stick to the bloated particles to any objectionable degree.

In order to set forth my invention more clearly, the following procedure for making lightweight aggregate is given.

Clay was mixed with 2% oil and enoughmake up water to bring the water content to about 25% The mixture was extruded through a die having openings and the extruded material cut into about lengths. lbs. of this mixture then was mixed with 50 lbs. of diatomaceous earth (about three times the volume of pellets) and charged into a rotary hearth furnace, such as described above, wherein the material is stirred by passing along a series of suitably arranged rabble teeth with an average in-furnace time of about 15 minutes. Since the bloating temperature of the clay was around 2100 F., the temperature of the furnace was adjusted to this temperature. The material discharged from the furnace showed an average bulk density of about 15 lbs. cu. ft.

I claim: I

1. A method of making lightweight aggregate which comprises the steps of mixing a mass of divided siliceous material selected from the group consisting of clays, shales, and slates, with at least an equal volume of finely divided refractory material non-reactive to said siliceous material, heating the resulting mixture to a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to cause the siliceous material to bloat without substantial sticking of the refractory material thereto, the said inert refractory material filling substantially all the voids, thus blanketing and surrounding said siliceous material during the entire step of said heating, stirring said mixture during said heating step, and thereafter cooling said mixture and separating said blanketing material from the bloated siliceous material, said refractory material being further characterized by softening at a higher temperature than said siliceous material and by having a bulk density less than the lowest bulk density possessed by said siliceous material at any time during said heating step. whereby said refractory material provides ,a blanket over said siliceous materialthroughout the stirring step.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the siliceous material is clay.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the siliceous material is shale.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the siliceous material is slate.

5. Method according to claim 1 wherein said refractory material is diatomaceous earth, in an amount by volume equal to approximately three times the volume of said siliceous material.

HARRY A.BURON.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,015,381 Harding Sept. 24, 1935 2,112,380 Price Mar, 29, 1938 2,199,046 Evenstad Apr. 30, 1940 2,414,734 Gelbman Jan. 21, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 429,015 Great Britain 1935 

